Myth, Rhetoric, and Fiction: A Reading of Longus's Daphnis and Chloe

"Daphnis and Chloe", written c.200 AD, vividly describes the passion of two foundlings brought up by shepherds. Longus' story was praised by Goethe, parodied by Voltaire and imitated countless times by popular writers in every European language. Critics have long admired its subtle psychology, sensitive description of nature and carefully measured rhythms. This study defines "Daphnis and Chloe" as a work of sophisticated prose fiction that reveals something perennial and important about the human condition. It reviews key interpretive problems concerning the work's date, authorship, style, motifs, philosophic bent and affiliations to other literary works. The text includes a thorough survey of previous scholarship.